


Leave Unsaid the Wrong Thing

by dragons_and_angels



Category: Schitt's Creek
Genre: Gen, Heteronormative Views, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Stereotypes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-14
Updated: 2019-11-14
Packaged: 2021-01-30 18:23:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21432688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragons_and_angels/pseuds/dragons_and_angels
Summary: Four times Marcy and Clint said the wrong thing to Patrick and one time they said the right thing.
Relationships: Patrick Brewer/David Rose, Patrick Brewer/Rachel
Comments: 24
Kudos: 279





	Leave Unsaid the Wrong Thing

**Author's Note:**

> There is no outright homophobia in this story, which is why I didn't tag it, but Clint and Marcy don't assume Patrick is anything but straight, which hurts him. So if that's something you don't want to read, then consider this your warning. 
> 
> My aim with this fic was to show Clint and Marcy as good parents who love Patrick, but they can't read his mind and assume things about him that aren't true. And then I imagined how baby!Patrick was feeling all the way through this fic and made myself very sad.

**1**

Marcy remembered the day quite clearly. Patrick had just turned fifteen a few weeks ago and, up until then, had shown no interest in girls at all. He had plenty of friends, both boys and girls, but he hadn't shown any interest in one particular girl. Marcy had fret over whether it was because Patrick wasn't confiding in them but Clint had assured her that teenage boys generally didn't tell their mothers who they had a crush on.

"When he gets a girlfriend, he'll tell us," he said to her and she had trusted him. She was the one who spent more time with Patrick but she felt like it was Clint who knew Patrick best.

When Patrick finally came to her and asked her for advice about girls, Marcy had tried to restrain her excitement. The last thing she wanted to do was scare Patrick off from confiding in them ever again.

"You know, Rachel, Mom," Patrick said. His eyes seemed bigger than usual and Marcy wanted to gather him to her like he was five years old again and had fallen over in the playground. "She said she likes me. As a boyfriend."

Marcy had met Rachel when she had dropped Patrick off at the community theatre. She remembered a pretty, red-headed girl who looked at Patrick like he was the most impressive person in the room. For a first girlfriend, she couldn't ask for anyone better for Patrick. "Oh, honey, that's great," she said. Patrick hadn't shown any special interest towards Rachel in front of Marcy, but she had a feeling it was just because she had been there. No teenage boy wanted to flirt with the girl he liked in front of his mom.

"It is?" Patrick sounded hesitant and Marcy looked up from where she was stirring the sauce for dinner.

"Of course it is, honey. Rachel is a nice girl, I think she would be really good for you. Your dad and I thought you wouldn't get a girlfriend until you were a senior!" She suddenly realised that her son probably didn't want to hear that his parents had doubted when he would start dating and hastily changed the subject. "When are you going out on a date?" She glanced down at the sauce to see it was starting to boil rather than simmer. She turned the heat down and when she looked back at her son, he was looking out of the kitchen window, a distant look on his face.

"Erm, we haven't set a particular time yet." He turned to her and smiled, but it seemed smaller than usual. Marcy brushed it off at her imagination.

"Well, I don't know Rachel so I don't know what she likes." Apart from Patrick and Marcy couldn't really disagree with her there. "But you make sure you treat her like a gentleman, Patrick. Always listen to what she wants okay? I know you're a good boy but sometimes being a take-charge guy can come across as pressure to a teenage girl."

Patrick nodded slowly. "Thanks, Mom. I'll let you know where I'm taking her on our date." He left the kitchen and Marcy got back to her cooking, ignoring the small niggle of discomfort at the back of her mind.

**2**

Clint served up the breakfast one Saturday morning as he updated Marcy and Patrick on his week at work. Patrick was bolting down his food, getting ready to go out with his friends to the baseball diamond, so Marcy was making sure she was giving Clint her full attention.

"And you know Tom from work?"

"The younger one or the older one?" Marcy asked. She took a sip of her coffee and tried not to make a face. It was far too cold to drink.

"The younger one. He's thirty and never showed any signs of wanting to get married. Well, this week he came into work and said he had a boyfriend." Clint shook his head. "Can you believe it?" It was the best gossip he had brought home from work for a while and Marcy could see he was pleased with himself.

Patrick dropped his knife on the ground with a loud clatter and he bent under the table to pick it up. Marcy glanced at him and saw he barely had a mouthful of eggs left so probably didn't need another knife.

"Tom, really? I wouldn't have suspected he was gay at all." She hummed as she considered Clint's colleague. The younger Tom was a very average looking man, a little shy at times, but had seemed sweet. She had wondered whether he was going to find a good woman to settle down with but apparently he wasn't into women at all. "He doesn't seem the type."

"Type?" Patrick asked, the first thing he's said all morning.

"Well, you know. He dresses in shirts and jeans, or slacks. Nothing really flamboyant or anything. And he played football in high school and doesn't know anything about fashion." Clint chuckled. "He tried to tell me that his brown shoes went with his black pants the other day and even I know that's wrong."

Marcy laughed along with him but she couldn't help but notice Patrick's smile was uneasy and slid off his face when he looked down at his nearly finished breakfast. He didn't make any move to finish the rest of his meal and she wondered if he had come down with a stomach bug.

"Maybe he'll be more open about who he is now he's come out," she said to Clint. "He must have been keeping parts of himself hidden from everyone at work and now everyone knows about his boyfriend, he must feel good enough to be far more open about these things."

"What, start wearing more fashionable clothes?" Clint scrunched up his nose like he was doubtful but didn't say anything to disagree with her. Patrick was staring at his plate as if he was trying to set it on fire with his eyes.

"Patrick, honey, are you okay?" Marcy asked, reaching across the table to place a hand on his shoulder. Patrick flinched away and when he looked up, he had gone a funny pale colour. "You don't look well. Are you sure you should be going out with Ty and the rest?"

Patrick looked down at the table again. "No, no, you're right. I don't feel well at all. I don't think I... can I be excused?"

"Of course, honey." Marcy watched him go with worried eyes.

"He'll be okay, Marcy," Clint said as he patted her hand. "We'll ask him if he wants Rachel to come around later and see if that perks him up."

**3**

Years later and Patrick was turning up on their doorstep with a suitcase and a grim expression. This was something far too familiar for them now. Marcy opened the door with a smile, but nothing too big, she didn't want to give Patrick the idea she didn't like Rachel.

"Your room is as you left it, my sweet boy." She gives him a hug because he looks like he needs it. She watches him go upstairs and makes her way into the kitchen where Clint is making chili.

"Again?" His question is quiet, meant for her alone.

"Yes. I don't think he'll come down again tonight," Marcy replied as she went to help Clint with chopping up the vegetables. "Maybe you need to talk to him about this. Soon she won't take him back and he'll regret it for the rest of his life. This relationship isn't making him happy as it is."

Clint nodded slowly. He knew what she was saying. "I'll talk to him, I promise."

The next day, Marcy was bent over some paperwork in the study, glasses perched on the edge of her nose when she heard Patrick and Clint's voices through the open window.

"I don't know, I think this might be it for good, Dad," Patrick said, his voice hoarse. He sounded tired and Marcy felt herself ache for him.

"Patrick, you said that last time." Clint's voice was gentle with the reminder. "You can't keep doing this, son. You're tearing yourself apart. Do you love Rachel?"

"You know I do." Patrick sounded almost tearful now and Marcy put down her pen. There was no chance of her concentrating on her paperwork now.

"Then tell the world, Patrick," Clint said, more urgent now. "Make that commitment. If you two have something to hold on to, then this should stop this whole back and forth you two have going. You can't run away from a marriage."

Patrick is silent for one long minute and then another. Clint is patient, far more so than Marcy would have been in his place, and he merely waits for Patrick to process it.

"I'll think about it," he said.

A month later, Patrick proposed to Rachel and he stopped coming home at all.

**4**

Marcy took a breath and dialled a number she now knew off by heart. She lifts to her ear as she listens to the phone ringing and doesn't realise she's holding her breath until the line is picked up.

"Hey, Mom," Patrick said. He sounded - he didn't sound of anything. Not excited or pleased, more like he's controlling the emotion in his voice so now it just sounds flat.

"Hello, my sweet boy," Marcy replied and then swallowed. "How are things where you are?"

"Things are a little slow at the store," Patrick said, his voice cautious now. Marcy had made the mistake once in questioning his investment in this new business and Patrick had turned cold on her in an instant. Now she said nothing but made an encouraging noise and wondered when she had started treading on eggshells around Patrick. Thankfully Patrick continued and his words grew easier the longer he went on. "All the excitement over the launch has died down so we're brainstorming ideas to get more people invested in the store. I suggested an open mic night but David was not a fan of the idea."

"Oh. Why not?" Marcy wasn't sure how she felt about Patrick's business partner. On one hand, Patrick seemed to get on well with him but he was also the person who caught Patrick's interest with his great business idea and now it looked like he would never come home. She tried never to sound too critical of him, Patrick seemed very protective of him for some reason and she didn't want to drive her son further away.

"I don't think he's had very good experiences with open mic nights before. I think he gets embarrassed if people are bad." Patrick didn't sound angry, more distracted than anything. "I've said I'm going to perform at the open mic night and have been playing my guitar around him really badly." Patrick sounded far more light-hearted than Marcy had heard in a while, a teasing note in his voice like David was right in front of him. Marcy couldn't help but smile. Not only had Patrick made a friend but he was also playing guitar again, something he hadn't done for years.

She carefully didn't think about why he hadn't been happy enough to play guitar when he was home.

"So he's going to be very surprised on the night?" Marcy tried to match her son's tone but felt it was a little too earnest.

"I'm planning on it," Patrick said. He sounded like he was smiling and he sounded so happy. He hadn't really sounded like that for a while, at least from what Marcy can remember, and she let her confused feelings carry her through the rest of the conversation. Patrick talked about the store and David more than anything else, though he talked about the town and its gossip as well. It sounded like he was happy, like he had found a place to fit and Marcy felt more and more desperate as he continued. When he finally asked about how things were back home, Marcy hurried through the lack of news about her and Clint before getting to what she really wanted to know.

"So, I saw Rachel the other day."

"Mom," Patrick immediately spoke up. He didn't sound angry but he definitely didn't sound happy anymore.

"I know, Patrick, I know. But she says she misses you and you've been together nearly fifteen years."

"And we broke up at least seven times during that period. Dad was right, that's not the mark of a happy couple," Patrick replied.

"But I don't understand. You said you love Rachel." Marcy couldn't wrap her head around what had happened to her son. It felt like he was a completely different person, one she didn't know at all.

"And I do, Mom. Just not.... not enough." Patrick sighed. "Look, Mom. The only time I talk about Rachel here is when I talk to you. Apart from that, I don't mention her at all, I don't even think about her. I miss her but I miss her as my friend and we haven't been that for a long time."

"I just don't know what happened. You were so happy." Marcy sat down on the couch and stared at the picture of Patrick and Rachel right after they got engaged. Smiles on their faces, Rachel showing off her ring to the camera.

"No, I wasn't," Patrick said bluntly, the anger finally showing up. "Look, I have to go. I'll talk to you soon. Love you." Patrick hung up before Marcy could say it back. She pulled the phone away from her ear and dropped her hand down to her lap. She couldn't stop herself from crying.

"Oh, Marcy." Clint pulled her into a hug some time later. She hadn't even realised he had come into the room. "You talked to Patrick didn't you."

"I - I don't understand what happened. He said he wasn't happy but he seemed okay. Did we miss something?"

"I don't know what happened, Marcy." Clint kissed her forehead and rocked her gently. Marcy's tears dried up and she took a tissue from the box he offered.

"Rachel said she was going down to see him next week. She'll sort everything out." Marcy wished she had a chance to tell Patrick before he hung up but maybe Rachel's visit would be a nice surprise for him.

**+1**

When Patrick finally told them how happy David made him, Marcy saw the truth of his words in his face. She took a breath in and then let it out, breathing out all the mistakes she had made in the past. Nothing she had said to him would be as important as her next words.

"You are the only thing in the world that matters to us. And if David makes you happy, then that's all we care about." Marcy tried to make sure Patrick could feel her sincerity.

"I like him," Clint said after Patrick prompted him. "I like him a lot. I don't understand his clothes but..."

And they all laughed together. Marcy felt like she wanted to cry. Her happiness was warring with her confusion and her guilt and she just wanted to hug Patrick to her and sob on his shoulder. She wouldn't, it would only worry him and embarrass him in front of his friends and his... David, but she was just so relieved. She had her son back, she understood why he had been so hesitant with Rachel and why Clint and Marcy's attempts to help them with their relationship had only succeeded in driving him further into his unhappiness.

At a quiet moment, when Patrick's shoulders had dropped in his relief and he and David were looking at each other from across the room, Marcy couldn't help but speak up.

"I'm - we're sorry, Patrick." That drew her son's attention back to her. "We never considered - we didn't give you the impression that there was another option."

"No, it wasn't - you guys are great," Patrick protested loyally.

"No, your mom is right. There were times when I look back now and we did push you. I know, I know, we probably weren't the only ones pushing but we didn't help," Clint added. Marcy and him had talked about it before David had come to see them with a basket and they had both been on the same page. They had failed Patrick and nothing they did now would make up for it, but maybe David could.

"And we didn't see how unhappy you were," Marcy put in, tightening her grip on Patrick's hand. "It's obvious now because you're so happy." Patrick glanced over to where David was standing and an unconscious smile lit his face.

"I know you guys are going to feel guilty and I can't - you don't need to but I don't think that helps. Yes, I was unhappy for a long time but if I hadn't gone through all that, I wouldn't be here now. With someone I love more than anything and the store we helped to create together. David says the same thing about his dad's business partner leaving them with nothing. Both of us were unhappy before coming to Schitt's Creek but now we're happier than we could imagine being." Patrick gripped her hand back. "Don't feel bad for what happened before. I didn't tell you when I was having doubts. Rachel didn't guess and I lived with her. Just know that I don't regret anything now I have David."

Marcy couldn't hold back the tears now and she took the tissue Clint held out to her.

"I'm so glad," she managed to get out before she had to wipe her eyes.

"Why don't you bring him over, Patrick?" Clint said. "We met him earlier when he brought over a welcome basket but it would be good to talk to him properly."

Marcy nodded enthusiastically. Earlier they had been struggling with the knowledge that their son hadn't want to tell him such an important part of him but now the air was cleared and they could get to know David properly.

"Yes, bring him over."

Patrick gave them a brilliant smile and Marcy felt like, for once, they had said the right thing.


End file.
